Home security and monitoring systems have become commonplace as people seek to protect themselves and their property. Home security systems typically employ sensors at entry points, such as windows and doors, along with interior sensors such as motion detectors and glass break detectors. In connected home life style applications the monitoring systems typically employ cameras and the like to monitor real time activity in the home or to view past activity in the home.
In some localities the need for remote video monitoring has become a basic need as the number of incidents of theft, fire and personal harm increases drastically each year. At the same time, there are limitations in existing systems which lead to inadequate personal privacy, inadequate alert systems and wastage of resources.
In connected home life style video monitoring, it is important to provide privacy to the end customer. Particularly, the customer should be able to stop live streaming of video or stop recording. These types of options are generally not required for the video used for security or surveillance systems. However, it becomes essential in a lifestyle or connected home type of application where privacy is a major concern. With some home monitoring systems the cameras include a privacy button. If the privacy button is on, then the camera will not stream live video and will not record video. However, this feature is only available from the camera and with access to the push button. This requires the physical presence of the user to operate the button and that the camera be easily accessible. In either case, it will be difficult for the end user to manage the privacy function especially, when the user is away from home.
The establishment of a central monitoring system with access to emergency response teams, such as fire, police or medical, is not always reliable and may not exist in some areas. In those situations, it is the sole responsibility of the end user to monitor and take appropriate action in the event of an informed incident. This could entail informing neighbors, friends or an emergency response team situated close to the home. However, the problem with existing systems is that there is no flexibility in allowing the end user to alert others while the user is away from home.
In some instances, the end user accounts may be disabled or canceled because the customer is not paying a subscription fee or due to temporary disconnection. However, the video camera will continue to detect motion and stream video clips to a network operation center (NOC). As the number of such systems increase which are uploading video clips to the NOC, large amounts of network bandwidth and storage are utilized which increases the NOC operating cost. Also, for customers who have fixed broadband plans, the bandwidth will be exhausted quickly if the camera is unknowingly connected to the internet.
Other features and advantages will be apparent from a review of the entire specification, including the appended claims and drawings.